Consolation Prize (Forbidden Men #9)(33)

Except that wasn’t the reason at all. What was worse, I didn’t even know why I felt the pressing need to make her see me and acknowledge me and talk to me. I just knew blood surged through my veins when she turned her glare my way, only for her expression to freeze with shock when she realized who she was looking at.

My heart began to pound and my breathing stalled as if I was actually worried about what I was going to say to her next and how it needed to be exactly the right words. But that wasn’t something I ever worried about, which pissed me off too, so I blurted out the first angry thing that popped into my head.

“You do realize how much you put every guy here in danger by sashaying around dressed like that, don’t you?”

Her wide, surprised eyes squinted, then her eyebrows crinkled with confusion. “Excuse me?”

I swept my gaze over her, every single spectacular inch of her. “You’re lethal, baby doll, and way too gorgeous for your own good. All the guys are going to want to hit on you, and they’re all going to limp away after you reject them and stomp on their testicles with those pointy heels of your boots. It just doesn’t seem fair to them.”

She blinked once before her lips smirked as if I’d complimented her and she was proud to be labeled such a way.

But then she chased it with a scowl.

Focusing on the red Solo cup I held, she swiped it from my grip. “What the f*ck are you drinking?” After taking a sip and tasting it, she sighed and shook her head like she was disappointed. “Alcohol? Really?”

I shrugged. “What?”

“Honey, I’ve seen what alcohol makes you do.” My stomach hitched the moment her dark, intense gaze met mine. I knew she was going to do something bold a split second before she tipped the cup down and let the rest of the contents splash out onto the ground. “So no alcohol for you.”

I shook my head and sniffed. Typical. But also kind of hot. The way her brown eyes met mine was full of daring challenge. Red hot, savage challenge. It made my dick hard as a rock.

“I paid three bucks for that,” I said, making sure my expression didn’t alter and give away how much she turned me on.

Keeping eye contact with me, she dug her hand into her pocket and pulled up a roll of cash. After peeling off three ones, she stepped closer, making my body tense with craving. Then she came in closer still, nearly stepping between my parted legs where I sat, and she continued to look me straight in the eye as she slowly tucked the cash into the front pocket of my T-shirt.

I released a breath. My cock throbbed and my skin buzzed with the need to be touched. “You know, you could’ve paid me back another way,” I murmured, lifting my eyebrows in invitation.

I didn’t even think about what I was saying or how I’d labeled her a no-go zone in my mind. I just knew she turned me on like nothing else, and I wanted to taste her again.

God damn. I swear her mouth was like five inches away.

When her lips pursed into a smile, I almost groaned. “Sorry, that would’ve been worth a hell of a lot more than three dollars.”

Shit. The need to tug her in and grind her into my lap was almost painful. “Then you definitely should’ve paid me back another way.”

Her smile only grew, letting me know my words amused her. Then she reached out and traced the longest, blue-painted fingernail I’d ever seen gently along my cheek. I gave a full-body shudder as she murmured, “Be good tonight, Little Gamble.”

“Good?” My lashes wavered as I met her gaze. “What’s the fun in that?”

She shook her head and drew her finger slowly from my face. “Behaving has its rewards too.”

Eyebrows perching with curiosity, I didn’t say anything. But what the hell? Was she flirting with me now?

I was so confused, and yet completely entranced.

“Excuse me,” she cooed. “I have some balls to go break now.” The wicked delight in her gaze almost made me need to shift where I sat because my jeans had grown way too tight.

Her shoulders were rigidly proud as she strolled off in the direction her two friends had gone.

I gazed after her until an elbow jabbed me in the side. “Dude. Who was that? She was hot. I didn’t know you were into black chicks.”

Ignoring him, I jumped off the wall and wandered in the direction she had gone, unable to stay away. It took me nearly five minutes to find her in the crush, but that was okay. I needed that long to settle my racing blood enough to concentrate on anything else but what had just happened.

Julianna had flirted with me, and smiled at me, and touched me. What the hell did that mean?

I wasn’t sure but I needed to find out.

When I finally spotted her, she’d rejoined her two friends and was in front of the band, dancing for them with about fifty other people, though dancing was such a lame word for the amazing way she was f*cking dirty grinding. One of her girls had spooned up behind Julianna, clutching her hip and gyrating right up against her ass while the other friend spooned against the friend in the middle.

Juli’s arms were above her head, her fingers were snapping and her eyes were closed as she tilted her face up and smiled through the music.

I stopped dead in my tracks and stared openly as she seemed to float off into the music and let it carry her mind away. Wishing I were the chick pressing her lap into Julianna’s ass, I watched her perfect body shimmy and writhe, and one fact became perfectly clear to me.